How to Remove Clinkers
You will find it easier to remove the clinker if you let the fire cool off for 5 to 10 minutes before removing it. Turn the stoker off and open the fire door to cool the fire. Fill the hopper while the clinker is cooling. The clinker normally forms around the retort. Use an iron bar or poker to raise the clinker. Do not dig in the retort. After you have raised the clinker, use the clinker tong to lift it from the furnace. It may be in one piece or several pieces, but remove all of it. Keep the fuel bed clean. Remove clinkers as often as necessary.
How to Adjust Coal Feed
Figure 3-11 illustrates the steps involved in a typical coal feed adjustment. Their order (in sequence) is as follows:
1. Select the proper amount of coal feed for the furnace (refer to the coal feed chart provided by the stoker manufacturer).
2. When the proper coal feed is selected, the opposite side of the pointer indicates the proper air setting (see Figure 3-11A).
3. When the coal meter is set on proper coal feed, lock the meter with a wrench at the locknut shown (see Figure 3-11B).
How to Adjust Air Supply
From information on the coal meter, set the air selector knob to the proper point and the automatic damper will furnish the proper amount of air for the amount of coal fed to the furnace. The automatic air damper opens slowly after the stoker starts feeding coal, thus preventing puffbacks out of the fire door, and closes when the stoker stops and automatically banks the fire. When this occurs, the motor stops running.
Troubleshooting Coal Stokers
All mechanical devices occasionally malfunction or operate below a commonly accepted level of efficiency. Coal stokers are no exception to this rule. Table 3-1 lists the conditions that indicate faulty operation:
